Tag: hair

I met a lady a few days ago at my daughters’ open day. Our kids are actually in the same class and typical me, I struck up a conversation. Before long, we were talking skin care (which I’m quite passionate about) and she was quick to tell me she’s a natural person and doesn’t apply anything on her face.

Don’t get me wrong! I understand that a good number of people don’t have the discipline to maintain a healthy skin-care regimen and many of them believe they don’t even need it. But lack of discipline or ignorance shouldn’t be mistaken for being natural.

Your skin is the largest organ your body has; it’s the first thing people see when they look at you. Little wonder people are most particular about their faces which leads one to believe that ‘skin care’ is all about the face.

Did you have your bath today? Skin care
Did you shave any part of your body today? Skin care
Do you shampoo your scalp/hair? Skin care
Do you mani and pedi? Skin care
Do you indulge in massages and spa treatments? Skin care

All of the above procedures and a whole lot I didn’t include are measures we take to appear properly groomed and as such is not limited to females alone. Neither is it for people that are ‘not natural’.

I’m just in my early 30’s but believe me when I say that my skin, especially my face and scalp/hair, is not what it used to be. Maybe its childbirth, maybe its hormonal changes, blame it on what you want, but my skin care regimenhelps me cope with the visible signs of aging.

It allows me to remain confident even without makeup; which is what ‘being natural’ is all about.

Share the steps you take to better take care of your skin/nails/scalp/hair.

Psoriasis is a skin condition that so many people (1 in every 50 persons) are not aware they suffer from, especially dark-skinned persons.

Skin cells on the surface of the body usually get replaced about every 28 days by underlying cells. In people suffering from psoriasis, what would have taken 28 days happens in 4-6 days thereby, piling skin cells on the surface of the body. These skin cell piles cause thick red and purple patches in light and dark-skinned persons respectively. These patches which can be found on the scalp, face, elbows, knees, palms of the hand, soles of the feet and other parts of the leg, can get itchy and sore, sometimes they become scaly, swollen and painful.

Just like eczema, psoriasis has a genetic link to it, in other words, it can be hereditary. It can also be aggravated by stress, smoking, infection (misdirected immune intervention) and changes in the weather which may dry up the skin.

Psoriasis has no known cure but it can be managed quite well. It is not contagious!! It is not sexually transmitted and it is not as a result of poor personal hygiene!!

To properly manage this skin condition, the following should be considered;

Stop smoking!!! That is if you do smoke, of course. 😊

Supplement diet with vitamins A and D as these may be deficient in psoriatics. One can also consider sunshine or UV exposure. In moderation of course.

It is important to regulate cells, repair the skins barrier and retain water, so using topical treatments with plant derivatives should prove effective. Aloe Vera, Curcumin (derived from turmeric) and Marigold extracts work well. Using moisturizers with these extracts as often as possible is a step in the right direction.

Work towards being stress-free.

It is wise to basically avoid any situation or environment that could trigger a psoriatic flare. If such measures have been taken yet reactions still persist, do well to consult a dermatologist for detailed examination.

Do you or anyone you know suffer from this skin condition? How do you (they) manage it?

Every other week, I pull out my tweezers and get to work on my facial hairs. Once upon a time, I used to dread touching them because I had heard such a lot about hairs.

“Don’t shave them, they’ll come back with a vengeance” (I wonder why this doesn’t apply to the hair on the head or under the arm)

“Don’t use razors, it’ll give you bumps”

“Use shaving sticks only”. And so on.

And I believed what I heard because most times I would have unsightly bumps under my arms and around my neck. Fortunately, those days are long gone.

What do I do differently? I avoid the following:

Shaving cold; I try to warm up the part to be shaved. For my face and under arm, I either use a warm towel directly or stand under a warm shower for a few minutes. This opens up the pores, softens the area and makes the process an effortless one.

Don’t ask me how I warm up ‘down below’. Use your discretion!!!😝

Not using a cream; Honestly, I don’t do this often, because some of the hair removing creams I know smell so awful and I end up looking like an Egyptian mummy especially when I want to shave my legs and arms. But when I do, I prefer to use my cleanser, yes, it’s creamy and alcohol-free and smells great too.

Shaving in any direction; This is the major culprit when removing hair from the body. When tweezing, hold the skin taut, grab the errant hair with the tweezers and pull in the direction of hair growth. Same applies with razors and shaving sticks. If you don’t do it this way, you run the risk of having in-grown hair (growing back into the skin instead of outwards) which causes bumps and/ or infection and eventually scars or keloids.

So, when next you are removing body hair, observe the pattern of growth and follow suit. For under the arm, go radial from the centre (upwards, downwards and outwards from the centre)

Not moisturizing; Moisturizing after removing hair is very important. Your skin has gone through some form of trauma and it needs to be soothed. Alcohol-based products should be avoided after shaving because they sting (if you have cuts, which you most probably will) and they dry up and dehydrate the area.

Your goal is to first seal your pores by applying water as cold as you can bear, then the next is to make sure any cuts you have heal very quick to avoid infections. Aloe Vera-based products work well here, and it helps to keep your skin hydrated and supple.

Do you have facial hair? How do you avoid bumps while keeping your skin hair-free? Let me know in the comment section below.